PHD THESIS
TITLE: HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRIC SUPPLY SECURITY IN 
LIBERALIZED MARKETS

ABSTRACT
The final use of electric energy is constituted in an essential component on modern life. Thus, 
electric supply problems are potentially expensive and traumatic. Nevertheless, electric supply 
systems cannot get total supply security due to prohibitive costs caused by uncontrollable and 
unregulated system variables. Until now, traditional management of electric supply security in 
liberalized markets (recognized for being fragmented and biased) is based on its consideration 
as a positive externality and public good. However, the mechanisms and actions foreseen to 
ensure long-term electric supply have neither been efficient nor effective. So, reduction of storing 
tendencies and electric supply failures have emerged as consequences of this problematic, 
creating elevated costs in competitive electric markets along with social, economical and political 
turmoil. Therefore, this thesis proffer a paradigm change on the conception of electric supply 
security into a process and service of common usage, which involves the restatement of PDCA 
cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) in search for holistic management. The historical information from 
the Spanish Electric Production Market was used to validate this approach. Conclusively, active 
participation and commitment of all interested parts was found to be a requisite for an efficient 
providing and transaction of electric supply security in liberalized markets. Moreover, this service 
must be prioritized to design a sustainable electric supply system which could provide demand 
with affordable prices and uninterrupted availability. To achieve it, strategies applied to demand 
response resources and efficiency are effective for medium and long term electric supply 
assurance. 

KEY WORDS
Liberalized electric markets, centralized and decentralized energy resources, common-pool 
resources, electric supply security, process management.